INTO THE WOODS, CORONATION, and More Nomination For Non-Equity Jeff Awards
Kokandy Productions received the most awards, with five this past season for its musical production of Into the Woods.
By: Stephi Wild Mar. 25, 2025
Celebrating its 51st anniversary awarding recognition for Non-Equity theater, the Joseph Jefferson Awards has announced the recipients for theater excellence among Non-Equity theater during the 2024 season. At this year's ceremony at the Harris Theater in Chicago, 33 award recipients were honored from among 138 theater artists nominees across 25 artistic and technical categories. Awards were presented live in an evening co-hosted by Chicago entertainers Frankie Leo Bennett and NK Gutiérrez, under the direction of Adrian Abel Azevedo with music direction by Dr. Michael McBride and featured the work of many of the nominated productions and dozens of local theater artists as presenters.
Kokandy Productions received the most awards, with five this past season for its musical production of “Into the Woods” including honors for Production, Ensemble, Direction and Musical Director for a Musical/Revue, as well as Artistic Specialization for orchestrations. Open Space Arts took home four awards for its Short Run Productions (defined by nine - 17 performances) including “Cock” (2), which received awards for Short Run Production and Short Run Supporting Performer, and “Light Switch” (2) which took honors for Short Run Director and Short Run Principal Performer.
The 2024 Non-Equity Award for Production – Play was presented to City Lit Theater Company for “August Wilson's Seven Guitars” which also received an award for Performer in a Supporting Role. City Lit Theater Company also garnered the Costume Design award for “Murder in the Cathedral.” The company's three awards tied with honors for Refracted Theatre Company which received recognition for “Coronation” for Performer in a Supporting Role, Lighting and Projection Design.
Directing honors recognized Rebecca Willingham as Director – Play for the world premiere of “Pro–Am” at First Floor Theater, and Derek Van Barham as Director – Musical for "Into the Woods" at Kokandy Productions. Michael D. Graham was presented with the directing award for the Short Run Production of "Light Switch” performed by Open Space Arts.
The Jeff Awards New Work category recognized two authors, including Brynne Frauenhoffer for “Pro–Am” at First Floor Theater and Erik Gernand for “The Totality of All Things” at Redtwist Theatre.
Performance awards were presented for Performer in a Principal Role – Play to Bide Akande for “Rhinoceros” at Theatre Y and Jacqueline Grandt in “The Totality of All Things” at Redtwist Theatre. Tyler Anthony Smith from “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” at Haven Theatre shared Principal Performer in a Musical honors with Colette Todd in “A Little Night Music” at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. For their performances, Jodi Gage in “Coronation” (Refracted Theatre Company) and Robert Howard in “August Wilson's Seven Guitars” (City Lit Theater Company) received the award for Performer in a Supporting Role – Play. In the Supporting Role for a Musical, Alicia Berneche was recognized for work in “On the Twentieth Century” (Blank Theatre Company) along with Maya Rowe from “A Little Night Music” (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre). For the Short Run category, Philip Andrew Monnett received the Performer in a Principal Role in “Light Switch” and Sonya Robinson for Performer in a Supporting Role in “Cock,” both productions at Open Space Arts.
Among the technical awards, Marvin Tate received the award for Scenic Design for work on “Rhinoceros” at Theatre Y. Costume Design was awarded to Patti Roeder for “Murder in the Cathedral” at City Lit Theater Company. Christopher Kriz (“The Singularity Play” at Jackalope Theatre Company) and L.J. Luthringer (“The Tempest” at Idle Muse Theatre Company) shared the Lighting Design award. Additional technical awards were presented for “Coronation” at Refracted Theater Company for Garrett Bell (Lighting Design) and Abboye Lawrence (Projection Design).
The Artistic Specialization awards were presented to Diane Fairchild for Lighting Design in a Short Run Production for “Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol” at Lifeline Theatre, as well as Ariana Miles, Evelyn Ryan and Nick Sula for Orchestrations for “Into the Woods” at Kokandy Productions. Nick Sula also received the award for Music Director for “Into the Woods” making him the only two-time honoree in the 2024 Non-Equity Awards.
Recognizing its 100-year legacy of training exceptional artists and its profound influence on the Chicago theater community and beyond, the Joseph Jefferson Awards honored The Theatre School at DePaul University with the 2025 Joseph Jefferson Special Award. Throughout its history, The Theatre School has trained an extraordinary array of talented and experienced alumni who have made an indelible impact on the American theater landscape with actors, directors, playwrights, and designers who have gone on to transform the theater world both in Chicago and beyond. The Theatre School remains at the forefront of theater education, diversity, and artistic innovation, producing world-class talent which embodies a way of making theater that is unmistakably Chicago: bold, physical, deeply ensemble-driven, and rooted in the passion that has defined this city's theatrical identity for decades.
The Non-Equity Jeff Impresario Award, honoring excellence in stage management, was launched at this year's awards ceremony. This new award was based on nominations by theater companies to recognize this key role that has been a vital part of the behind-the-scenes work bringing Chicago productions to life over the last season. Kyle Aschbrenner received the inaugural award for his stage management work at Blank Theatre Company. Moving forward, this award will be given annually at both the Non-Equity and Equity Awards programs.
During the most recent season, which ran from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, Jeff Awards members attended 106 Non-Equity productions. From these, 51 productions became Jeff Recommended and, therefore, eligible for award nominations.
2024 NON-EQUITY JEFF AWARD RECIPIENTS
PRODUCTION – PLAY
“August Wilson's Seven Guitars” – City Lit Theatre
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL OR REVUE
“Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
ENSEMBLE – PLAY
“Attempts on Her Life” – TUTA Theatre
ENSEMBLE – MUSICAL OR REVUE
“Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
NEW WORK
Brynne Frauenhoffer – “Pro–Am” – First Floor Theater
Erik Gernand – “The Totality of All Things” – Redtwist Theatre
DIRECTOR – PLAY
Rebecca Willingham – “Pro–Am” – First Floor Theater
DIRECTOR – MUSICAL
Derek Van Barham – “Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY
Bide Akande (Berenger) – “Rhinoceros” – Theatre Y
Jacqueline Grandt (Judith) – “The Totality of All Things” – Redtwist Theatre
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL
Tyler Anthony Smith (Hedwig) – “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” – Haven Theatre
Colette Todd (Desiree Armfeldt) – “A Little Night Music” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY
Jodi Gage (Actor 1) – “Coronation” – Refracted Theatre Company
Robert Howard (Hedley) – “August Wilson's Seven Guitars” – City Lit Theater Company
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL
Alicia Berneche (Letitia Peabody Primrose) – “On the Twentieth Century” – Blank Theatre Company
Maya Rowe (Charlotte Malcolm) – “A Little Night Music” – Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
PRODUCTION – SHORT RUN
“Cock” – Open Space Arts
DIRECTOR – SHORT RUN
Michael D. Graham – “Light Switch” – Open Space Arts
PERFORMER IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – SHORT RUN
Philip Andrew Monnett (Henry) – “Light Switch” – Open Space Arts
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – SHORT RUN
Sonya Robinson (W) – “Cock” – Open Space Arts
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION – SHORT RUN
Diane Fairchild (Lighting Design) – “Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol” – Lifeline Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN
Marvin Tate – “Rhinoceros” – Theatre Y
COSTUME DESIGN
Patti Roeder – “Murder in the Cathedral” – City Lit Theater Company
SOUND DESIGN
Christopher Kriz – “The Singularity Play” – Jackalope Theatre Company
L.J. Luthringer – “The Tempest” – Idle Muse Theatre Company
LIGHTING DESIGN
Garrett Bell – “Coronation” – Refracted Theatre Company
PROJECTION DESIGN
Abboye Lawrence – “Coronation” – Refracted Theatre Company
MUSIC DIRECTION
Nick Sula – “Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION
Ariana Miles, Evelyn Ryan and Nick Sula (Orchestrations) – “Into the Woods” – Kokandy Productions
SPECIAL AWARD
The Theatre School of DePaul University
NON-EQUITY JEFF IMPRESARIO AWARD (honoring excellence in stage management)
Kyle Aschbrenner - Blank Theatre Company
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